Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 44gr | Peregrine VLR-4 bullet and 9 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Lovex S053, Vihtavuori N110 and SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2.
Important Notice: DO NOT go below Minimum Charge or above Maximum Charge. Since we have no control over the equipment and components used, any responsibility and liability for the results achieved is rejected.
Only powders/loads that match the current filter criteria are displayed: max pressure of a load ≤ 90% of max. standardized pressure, fill rate ≥ 80% and propellant combustion ≥ 95%. Use the sliders above the tables to adjust these thresholds.
Charge: Powder weight in grains. Start with the minimum load and work up carefully.
FR (Fill Rate): Case fill as a percentage. Values above 100% mean compressed loads.
MaxP / %: Maximum chamber pressure in bar and as a percentage of the standardized maximum for this caliber.
V(0): Muzzle velocity in feet per second (fps) at the standardized barrel length.
z (Powder Burn): Estimated propellant combustion percentage at bullet exit.
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Max Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate No. 11 FS | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,829 psi | 90% | 2976 fps | 97.3% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,539 psi | 90% | 2887 fps | 98.7% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,510 psi | 89% | 3064 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,542 psi | 57% | 1919 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,160 psi | 84% | 2949 fps | 98.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 25,643 psi | 55% | 1959 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,031 psi | 88% | 2877 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,800 psi | 90% | 2969 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 35,911 psi | 77% | 2923 fps | 96.8% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate No. 11 FS | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,592 psi | 75% | 2815 fps | 95.2% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,547 psi | 70% | 2687 fps | 96.5% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,334 psi | 83% | 3002 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 18,971 psi | 41% | 1709 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053 | 13.2 gr | 86% | 29,428 psi | 63% | 2710 fps | 95.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 18,478 psi | 40% | 1749 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | 11.2 gr | 80% | 23,366 psi | 50% | 2461 fps | 99.2% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 11.7 gr | 80% | 28,892 psi | 62% | 2684 fps | 99.4% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 96% | 32,169 psi | 69% | 2828 fps | 95.5% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
ᴾ possible press load - work up slowly to this load while watching for signs of excessive pressure.
This overview compares 9 powders for .221 Rem. Fireball loaded with the .224 | 44gr | Peregrine VLR-4. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 3,064 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,919 fps to 3,064 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 9 of the 9 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (320 MPa), the top charges use 55–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 44.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:10.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 reach 100 % fill or more at maximum charge, so these are compressed loads: they need a long drop tube to seat cleanly and react sensitively to the case capacity of your own brass lot. Lovex S053, Vihtavuori N110, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 44gr | Peregrine VLR-4 they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.